Déprivation

Déprivation is a term used in some scholarly contexts to denote the state or process of being deprived of something required, desired, or morally relevant for flourishing. In English-language usage, the standard form is deprivation; the form with an acute accent appears in French- and multilingual writings and is sometimes adopted to emphasize the active removal involved in the deprivation.

Conceptually, déprivation covers material deprivation (income, housing, food), social deprivation (networks, belonging, social participation), cognitive or informational deprivation (access to education, media), sensory deprivation (limited environmental stimulation), and rights-based deprivation (freedom, political participation). It can be temporary or persistent, individual or structural, and may be voluntary in some contexts but often involuntary and systemic.

Measurement in policy and research typically uses poverty metrics, multidimensional deprivation indices, area-based deprivation measures, and rights- or justice-oriented indicators. Empirical work links higher deprivation to adverse health, poorer educational outcomes, reduced life expectancy, and increased crime risk, while resilience and social support can mitigate effects.

Debates around deprivation address distributive justice, the role of welfare states, and ethical questions about responsibility for reducing deprivation. Critics warn against overreliance on single indices or neglect of capability, autonomy, or agency. The concept remains central to discussions of inequality, social policy, and human development.